In this age of "in-your-face" confrontational politics, bitterly-debated issues, infinite corporate corruption and media-driven chaos, it is painfully clear that American society is turning into little more than a conglomerate of fractured cultures and shallow factions.

It's bad enough that society is suffering from being blinded-sided by a decade of extremes, superficial selfish interests, petty political rancor, corporate greed and stockmarket madness.

But in this new age of terrorism and terrorist attacks on America that threaten to completely de-stabilize our country, the last things we need are political fear merchants and inflammatory reporting by the media.

Indeed, it's time for us to step back and think about what we have to lose -- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- then hope that it's not too late to do something about it before freedom and democracy escapes us.

DDC